My People
by silvermedal
Summary: A lonely Kokiri girl has lived in the forest for as long as she can remember. Suddenly, her world is shattered as she finds out things about her race and her past she never even imagined.
1. The Kokiri Girl

**Author's Note: I don't own Hyrule, nor do I own the races of Hyrule. I own the characters though. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Marien, wake up!"

"Marien?"

Something poked Marien's side.

"Erghhh," she mumbled.

"C'mon, Marien!" a male voice called to her. She opened her eyes.

A scrawny-looking blonde boy with a weird face slowly came into view. He was wearing green. Lots of green.

Marien rubbed her eyes. "Mido! What the-" She sat up quickly.

"Heh heh, guess I surprised you today!" Mido grinned. He was holding a string.

"This isn't another one of your tricks, is it? If it is, you know, you'll be in trouble."

"Nah. Just a present." Mido yanked the string.

Marien rolled her eyes. "Nothing's happening." She flipped her fiery red hair (quite a lot of it there was too) and flopped back down onto the bed. "Guess your 'present' isn't working."

Mido, looking confused, stared at the rope in his hand. He tugged again. "Um… I, uh, I'll give it to you later!" He dropped the string and charged out the door.

Marien shrugged and got out of bed quickly. Today was her monthly meeting with the Great Deku Tree. She supposed it would be like normal: the Deku Tree would ask her how things were going, she'd reply, as usual, not the greatest, and the tree would almost tell her something but change his mind right before. It had been like this for the last twelve years, ever since she started growing much past a normal Kokiri size. She now stood at a good 5'4" and found herself thinking that she didn't quite belong.

"Marien! You're late," scolded a deep voice.

"I'm sorry, Great Deku Tree, I was-" Marien panted as she arrived in the great tree's meadow.

"I need no excuses. I, like most, am a patient tree; however, I will not tolerate continual tardiness," the guardian of the Kokiri said, without a trace of anger. "Now then, I have a few very important things to tell you.

"First, I realize you have been teased much more lately, correct?"

"Um, yeah," Marien muttered.

"What do they say?"

Marien looked down. "Um…just – well, they, uh, call names, that's all."

"Marien, look at me. Do you think I will laugh at you?" the tree said calmly.

She bit her lip. "They say stuff about…they call me…oh, why do I have to look so different? It's always, 'Oh, look, her skin is too dark, and her hair looks like fire!' 'No-fairy girl!' 'There goes the giant,' oh, just because I don't have a fairy, I'm taller and-" She stopped and bit her lip again. "And…"

"Marien, I need to tell you something. I don't know if you are ready for this, but-"

Something swooped from the sky and caught Marien in the back. She was sent flying and hit the ground hard in front of the Deku Tree. When she looked up, hundreds of the flying things were swooping in from all directions, diving towards her.

She screamed as thousands of claws started tearing at her back. She felt them grasping, scrabbling to hook onto her. She was dragged to her feet. As she felt herself leaving the ground, she heard the Deku Tree bellowing, "Marien! You are not-"

But the screeching of the creatures dragging Marien off drowned out even the great voice of the Deku Tree. A claw found its way to her face. As she felt a trickle of blood run down her cheek, everything slowly faded into blackness.

Marien awoke to the sound of screeching, like nails on a chalkboard. She opened her eyes to find everything blurred. "Wha…" she said drowsily. "Mido!"

But no one answered. She was getting a headache from all the noise. As she rubbed her eyes vigorously, her vision gradually returned to normal. "Ahhh!"

She found herself in a room of brown rock, surrounded by bat-like creatures, Keese. They were everywhere, covering the walls and ceiling, screeching and squawking, soaring across the room.

Marien stood up slowly, not wanting to get the Keese angry. She looked around. "There has to be an exit somewhere," she muttered angrily. As she watched, the Keese all left their perches to some unseen signal, and, in a cloud of pure black, exited the cave.

Left alone, Marien explored her little alcove. She still could not tell where the Keese had left. As she reached the wall of the room, she stumbled on something. Looking down, she saw that she had fallen on a gigantic ruby jutting out of the ground. "Wow," she breathed. She immediately knelt down and tried to pry it out. She had managed to get it to move a considerable distance to the left when the Keese returned.

They flew, clad in fire, into their nest. The heat in the room was almost unbearable for Marien, but she kept working on the ruby, however hot it may have been. She looked up to see a wall of red and black advancing towards her. Screaming, she flung herself onto the ground.

As the first Keese reached her, she swatted it away, managing to knock it to the ground without burning herself. Almost instantly a blanket of fiery bats surrounded the girl. Pain like she had never known filled her body.

She heard screaming; with a jolt she realized it was her own. She was writhing, rolling, kicking, but none of it did any good. If only there was water around!

_Strange, _Marien thought dully, _they're leaving…_

And she was lying alone, water drenching her.

She was in a man's arms. Another, older man was standing next to him. He was saying something, but she could only make out bits and pieces.

"…Those Keese almost got you…good thing we came…major burns…healer…"

The last thing she heard was, "…Who is she...?" Then darkness completely overtook her.


	2. Takarty and Durell

"Wonder when she'll come to?"

"Probably soon. It's been three days."

Marien slowly opened her eyes. All she could see were shadows. She rubbed her eyes vigorously.

"Ah, she's awake!"

"Drink this," someone said to her.

She groped blindly in the air until her hand bumped into a glass. Hesitating, she said, "Wait. Who are you?"

"Just drink it!"

She did, and her vision immediately cleared. She found herself in a small room with a chair, a bed (which she was lying in), and a fireplace. A tall, middle-aged man with hair like ashes and small round spectacles perched precariously on his nose was standing over her, a worried expression on his face. Another man, younger, and with dark, ruffled-looking hair was standing on her other side looking at her also.

Marien blinked, and again asked, "Who are you?"

The older man smiled. "I'm Professor Colin Durell, and this is Thomas Takarty, my assistant."

"Uh…nice to meet you." She groaned and tried to sit up.

"I'd advise you to lie down," said Thomas. "You got burned pretty badly."

"Burned…?" Suddenly the memories of the Keese cave came flooding back to her. She groaned again. "Oh yeah."

Professor Durell smiled again. "You'll be all right, though. Just a few more days of rest."

"Few more? How long have I been out?"

"Three days."

Marien bit her lip. "Wow…Hey, Professor Durell, I-"

"Please, call me Colin."

"All right, Colin, I've been meaning to ask you something."

Colin walked to the other side of her bed. "Ask away."

"Where am I?"

Both of the men chuckled. "You're at the University of Hyrule, in the professor's office," Thomas said. "Forgive me for not telling you sooner." He walked over to a table and picked up a small crystalline paperweight. Tossing it in his hands, he said, "Those Keese certainly did their damage. I suppose that's what to be expected when one tries to take their treasure. Now," he said abruptly, "we've both been wondering what you were doing in that cave in the first place." He looked at her expectantly.

Marien rubbed her forehead. "I'm not really sure myself. All I know is that I was talking to the Great Deku Tree-"

"The what?" Thomas interrupted her.

"The Great Deku Tree is the guardian spirit of the Kokiri Forest," Colin explained. "My only question is, what were you doing there, uh…?"

"Marien," she said. "Sorry. But…I live in the Kokiri Forest. I'm a…" She trailed off.

"You're a…?" Thomas repeated.

"I thought I was a Kokiri…Wait, before you start protesting, let me finish. I thought I knew what I was…but I'm not what I thought…I know I'm not a Kokiri, I'd be dead right now if I was…Oh, I'm really confused. Are there things out there besides us?"

Now it was Colin's turn to be confused. "Things besides us…? Oh, you mean besides the Kokiri? Did you really spend your entire life thinking you were a Kokiri?"

"I guess I did."

"Well, you don't even look like one, for starts," Thomas interrupted.

She swallowed and glared at him. "I know."

Thomas didn't seem to catch on. "You've obviously been growing ever since you were born, unlike Kokiri, and you definitely look at least fifteen. Didn't anyone notice that?"

Marien glared at him. "What do you think?" she asked crossly.

Thomas looked confused for a moment, and then finally caught on. He bit his lip and backed away a little. "I-I'm sorry…I didn't think…"

Marien closed her eyes and shook her head. "It's okay. I'm fine. I…" Blinking back sudden tears, she continued, "I'm over that now."

Colin smiled again. "Whether or not you are, it's none of our business, unless you see fit to make it so. Would you like some hot chocolate?"

"That would be great."

He left the room for a moment. Thomas glanced at Marien awkwardly.

She caught his glance and said, "It's fine. Really. You had no idea."

"No idea…?" He quickly put his hand over his mouth. He looked embarrassed.

Marien smiled, for the first time in a while. "If you want I'll tell you. But I don't know that you'll find it very interesting."

"Oh, yes, I…" Thomas bit his lip again. "I mean, uh, if you want to, you can talk. I won't be bored. You never actually told us what happened, anyway."

Marien shifted in the bed. "Well, as I was saying before, the Great Deku Tree was talking to me. Actually I don't really know why he was talking to me, but he was going to say something important. Well, anyway, he had just started some important sentence when this big thing swooped out of nowhere and clawed at my back. A whole bunch of them came and dragged me off.

"So I woke up in this room. I take it it was a Keese cave, because, obviously, the Keese were everywhere. Then they all left. So I was alone in the cave, and I looked around, and I saw this big ruby sticking out of the ground. I don't really know why I tried to get it out, the urge just struck me. But then the Keese came back, and they were covered in fire. And that's when you came in."

"So that's the whole story, eh?" Thomas looked confused. "Don't mind me asking, but nothing really seems hurtful about that. Well, uh, besides the whole almost dying thing." He laughed hesitantly, saw Marien was not sharing the joke, and coughed.

"Oh…well that's a different story." Marien looked down again.

"If you don't want to-"

"No, I'll tell you. It's not that big of a deal."

"It seems like it would be."

Marien pushed her hair out of her face. "It's just that the other Kokiri would tease me about my height and my hair, among other things. And the leader would play tricks on me. It's really not a big deal."

Thomas tried to look sympathetic. He was having a rather hard time at it though; his face was screwed up into an awkward half-smile.

At that moment Colin walked in carrying a big steaming mug of hot chocolate. "Here's your cocoa, miss, and yours, Tom." He sat down with his own mug in a chair in the corner. "I do hope you like marshmallows. Now what's been going on while I was away?"

"Oh, nothing." Thomas sat up straight.

"I was just telling Thomas here about myself," Marien put in.

Colin sipped his cocoa and nodded. "I see," he said, and adjusted his glasses.

"If you don't mind…?" inquired Thomas, moving toward the professor.

"No, go ahead." Marien made herself busy by moving her heavily bandaged arm.

Thomas quickly filled Colin in on what Marien had said and then had a quick muttered conversation. Marien caught quick snatches of speech, such as, "Why did they come…?" or "…is what I think should…"

After about a minute of this, they turned back to her.

"I have a rather -- er,_ important_ question to ask you," Colin said rather anxiously. "Actually, more of a favor."

Marien shrugged. "Go on."

"Well, I don't suppose you've heard of the Gerudos?"

"The what?"

Colin laughed. "I take that as a no. Well, they're people, women actually, who live in the desert and steal things for a living."

Marien looked puzzled. "They're all women?"

Thomas grinned. "Don't ask."

"Anyway, they were never totally on the rest of Hyrule's side. No one was ever sure if they could be counted on." Colin explained.

"What does this have to do with me?" Marien asked, perplexed.

The professor spoke again. "Well, we've just received word of an army in the south which might be preparing for battle. Against us. If this is true, we _need_ the Gerudos on our side. However, the Gerudos won't speak to anyone who isn't, well, a Gerudo. So we can't really send a messenger."

"I still don't see what this has to do with me," Marien said.

Colin hesitated. "Er…well, Thomas and I both agree that your appearance is…very similar to a Gerudo…"

Thomas now spoke. "If you…don't mind, it would be very helpful if you would go…talk to the Gerudos. On behalf of Hyrule," he added.

"Um, I, um, ok," she said, startled. "Am I going to have to pretend to be one of them?"

"Well," Tom said, "I don't really think you're going to have to pretend…

Marien looked confused.

Colin sighed. "You see, we believe you _are_ one of them."


	3. The Real World

**Author's Note:** I'm hoping to update possibly once a week, depending on how busy I am. Thank you, Zequistis Free Spirit, for being the only one to review. Hehe. This is my first long fic on here, so that's to be expected. I'd be much obliged if you all would read and review. Thanks.

* * *

Three days after agreeing to talk to the Gerudos, and finding out what she was, Marien was still stuck inside. This was very uncommon for a Kokiri, or, at least, a Gerudo-raised-as-a-Kokiri. After all, both the desert and the forest love the sun.

After much persuasion, Marien convinced Thomas to take her out into the city. Colin would've joined them, but, unfortunately, his work had caught up to him rather overwhelmingly. So, Thomas (who had been visiting her in Colin's office quite frequently) took her for the first time into Hyrule Castle Town.

To Marien, it was like seeing for the first time. Nowhere in Kokiri Forest was even remotely similar to this. There were just so many _people_! Dancing, laughing, selling on the corner, walking, running, talking, stealing…

"Thomas -- or do you prefer Tom? -- is it always like this?" she asked her traveling partner.

He laughed. "Like what? This is slow compared to summer…and Tom or Thomas, either is fine by me," he added.

Marien stared at a man running by with a pack on his back. "Do you know him?"

Tom gaped at her. "Who, the thief guy? Of course I know him -- or rather, know _of_ him."

She gasped. "A real thief? Like, a bad man?"

Tom picked up a trinket being sold at one of the various booths. "A bad man? I'm not too

sure about that. Well, sure, the shopkeepers don't like him, doesn't mean he's necessarily _bad._"

"I don't get it."

"Well, he has to eat, right?"

Marien nodded.

"Maybe he has a family to feed, eh?"

Marien nodded again.

"And maybe he couldn't get a job doing anything else because he wasn't _good_ at anything else, eh? Do you see it now?"

She looked up at Tom. "The rest of the world still doesn't make too much sense right now. I…I don't even know what that is!" she cried on the edge of hysterics, pointing at a watermelon.

Tom smiled and put down the small golden figurine he was holding. "Marien…don't be discouraged. It's not like you ever had a chance to learn these things. And it's a watermelon, by the way."

Marien glared, but soon her look softened. Her eyes once more resembled a child discovering the world; in reality, she was only a child in the way she was brought up. She grinned and reached for Thomas's hand, who gave it to her, slightly startled.

"Show me more," she demanded, and they started walking again.

"Well, that's the Bombchu Bowling Alley – it's a sort of game – and that's the Bazaar – a shop – and over here is the shooting gallery – oh, and there are the backstreets," Thomas was saying. Marien gazed in wonder at everything he pointed out, often wanting to go get a closer look. In this manner they spent most of the day, stopping for lunch at a small restaurant.

Eventually the sun started getting lower in the sky and they began to head back to the university.

"So…the world's really like this, huh?" Marien asked as she skipped alongside Thomas's strides.

"You've seen part of it – I'm just afraid you'll have to see the not-so-great rest of it soon," Tom said, frowning.

Marien stopped. "How bad can it get? I mean, sure, there are thieves, and people get sick sooner or later, but that's it…isn't it?"

Tom came to a halt and turned to face her. "I'm sorry to say there are much, _much_ worse things than thieves and illness." He put a hand on her shoulder. "Ever seen a war?"

"I always thought wars didn't really exist."

"No, no, they exist," he muttered, "same as death and sin do. And thanks to us, you'll be put in the middle of all of this."

Marien suddenly smiled. "I have so much to learn, but I do know that when I can help, I will," she stated. "If it means I have to learn these things the hard way, I'm willing."

"That's very kind of you to say." Tom paused. "Here I am, treating you like a child again. You don't need that. For heaven's sake, you look like you're twenty. At least."

"I have no idea how old I am. I remember about eighteen years of living in the Kokiri Forest, but it's hard to tell. Days blend into each other there. It's so different here…_I'm_ so different than everyone else here…" Marien trailed off.

"You don't seem so different." Tom looked directly into her eyes and held her gaze. "No, I think you'll do just fine out here. Just takes a little getting used to, I'd imagine."

Marien stepped back suddenly, bewildered. "What are you doing!" she exclaimed.

Tom looked just as confused as she. "What? I'm not doing anything!"

"Yes you are!" Marien insisted. "You did something to me, just now. It kind of felt like the time I fell out of my treehouse."

Tom eyed her strangely. Finally, he gave up trying to figure out this strange girl and took her hand once more. "It's high time we get back to the university," he said. "Professor Durell will be worried."

Marien grinned up at him, though she hadn't far to go up. She was nearly Thomas's height, after all. "Sounds good." She paused. "Er, thank you for showing me around today. I really appreciated it."

"The pleasure's all mine, miss."

* * *

Later that evening, Thomas had a conference with the professor. 

"Well, we obviously can't just send her into Gerudo territory without any idea of how things work around there," Tom was saying. "We've got to educate her, train her, let her learn the ways of things before she goes."

Colin sipped some hot chocolate and sighed. "Thomas, we don't have that kind of time. We don't know how long it'll be until Vaalvria attacks. It could be as little as a few days. We can't afford a delay." He looked up at Thomas. "If we don't send Marien now, we won't have the Gerudos on our side. And that could be disastrous."

"Professor!" Tom exclaimed. "Marien isn't some expendable resource. What if she's killed or kidnapped? It'll be our fault."

"I know, Tom. But we can hope she doesn't get into too much trouble. After all, she is a Gerudo. Perhaps they will take her in for a while."

"Gerudo or not, they don't like strangers, and that's for sure," Thomas said.

"We will simply have to hope she pulls through."

Thomas stood up angrily. "Sometimes hope isn't enough!" he shouted. "If we send that girl out there with no protection and something happens to her, it'll be because _we_ were too hasty to make preparations! She's got _no idea_ what the world is like_, do you understand_!"

"Thomas! Sit down, please." Colin's voice was pleading. "Hear me out." Thomas took his seat slowly. "I know Marien has no concept of the real world. That's to be expected. And I, as much as you, hate sending her out on her own like this. But what other choice do we have? If Vaalvria sends an army before we get the Gerudos on our side, Hyrule is lost. We simply don't have enough force without them. And besides," he added, "I've already given the king a message that we're sending a diplomat to the Gerudos. He responded by urging us to do so as quickly as possible."

"But – she – " Tom stuttered for a few moments. Finally, he yielded. "I guess there is no other way. But," he said quickly, "that doesn't mean we can't get her as prepared as is achievable in a day. I suggest we give her a thorough debriefing, tell her what to expect, give her a sword or two and a crash course in fighting and horseback riding, and send her off. I can ride behind a mile or so and make sure she's alright. I can't ride with her, obviously, because she has to go to the Fortress alone. We-"

Durell cut him off. "Thomas. You're rambling. She'll be fine. One thing though, I've done some research. Even without looking it up, however, I think you'll agree with me that 'Marien' doesn't sound the most like a Gerudo." Tom nodded.

"Marien'll need a new name," the professor continued. "Any suggestions?"


	4. Swordsmanship

Marien woke with the sunrise in her bed at the University. A mug of steaming cocoa and a note were lying on a bedside table. Yawning, she reached out and fumbled for the note, managing to spill half the cocoa on it. She muttered a few curses (the Kokiri version, of course, meaning words like "Nuthead" and "Deku-foot") and picked up the now-sopping parchment. It read:

_Marien-_

_Meet me in Hyrule Field at 10:00 today. I've got a few things I need to show you. Bring your extra clothing and some provisions. Take the brown horse with the black tail and mane tied by the door. Her name's Kora, and she doesn't respond without hearing that name. Please don't be late._

_-Thomas_

Sighing, Marien rolled out of bed and threw on some clothes. She put her extra clothing in a large knapsack with some cheese and bread wrapped in a rag. About to walk out the door, she noticed that her hair was quite disheveled. Normally she wouldn't've minded so much, but for some reason today felt different. Running a brush through it hurriedly, she found it was altogether more tangled than she might have thought. Soon, the brush was stuck and she spent almost half a painful hour trying to loosen it. Finally, doing what she knew she must, she picked up a knife and resolutely cut her hair short, yet even, around her chin.

Once more gathering her belongings and her wits, she headed out the door. Sparing a glance at the sun, she realized it was later in the morning than previously presumed.

"Must be after 10 by now," she mumbled, untying this rather short horse Kora and saddling her quickly. This was a skill she had picked up quite easily, to Thomas's astonishment. The girl knew more about horses than he would have expected.

Marien spent the next few minutes weaving her way through the usual crowds in the city she had explored the day before. People moved out of her way now that she had a horse, she concluded smugly. Finally, she crossed the drawbridge and galloped out a little way into the field, searching for Thomas.

A little waving figure flagged her down as she rode. Coming to a halt, she dismounted before Thomas, who was holding a pair of curved swords in his hands. A pile of clothes lay at his feet.

"Thomas!" Marien gasped. "I'm sorry I'm so late, it's just I-"

"Marien!" Thomas cut her off. "You're early. And what happened to your hair?"

Marien grinned sheepishly. "Well, I tried brushing it, but it was worse than I thought."

Tom chuckled. "Not a bad look for you." He held out the sheathed swords he carried. "Take these."

Marien hesitated. "Swords?" she managed to squeak.

"Yes. Swords," Tom stated. "Now take it. You've got only a few hours to learn how to use them."

Marien's tan hand reached out for a hilt. Once she grasped the weapon, she gracefully unsheathed it. She swung it about her head a few times, threw it lightly in the air and caught it with her other hand, then let it rest at her side, picking up the other sword Thomas offered and took it out of its sheath less boastfully.

"Marien…?"

Marien stopped staring at the metal in her hands and looked up at Tom. "Yes?" she asked innocently.

"Marien…when did you learn how to use a sword?"

"I _don't_ know how to use a sword. That's why you're teaching me." Her face showed puzzlement. "And I'm sure I won't make the greatest swordswoman, either. I grew up Kokiri. That's not exactly the most warlike culture."

"You don't know how to use a-" Tom broke off, spluttering. "Look at what you just did! I don't think I could unsheathe a sword that skillfully, let alone demonstrate that level of handling skill. I don't think this crash course is going to take long if you continue to show that kind of Gerudo swordsmanship. Now…show me what you can do."

Thomas brandished a broadsword and held it at the ready. "I understand we're using real swords here, but I think we're both at the level where we can handle it. Block me," he said, swinging his sword gently at Marien. She parried skillfully and knocked his blow to the side. He swung again, harder, and again she blocked his sword. This time, Tom struck quickly thrice, and each blow Marien deflected more masterfully than the last.

"You _are_ a Gerudo," Thomas said, panting. "Have you ever picked up a sword in your life?"

"Never."

Thomas whistled. "You're good, do you know that?" He paused to wipe his brow. "A duel, then. I know it's a bit early to subject you to something like this, but it's not as if we have a lot of time. To first blood?"

Marien gave him a blank look. "First blood?"

Tom grinned. "I'd forgotten you were raised as a child. Well, I'll put it this way: do you like pain?"

"Not exactly, no."

"Well, then, you'd better not lose."

He deftly struck at Marien's left side, then right, back left, right, and Marien blocked each again with surprising skill. She struck at him for the first time and he barely deflected it, moving slowly with his large sword. Marien twirled her twin blades swiftly, gracefully, lunging at Thomas with ever-increasing speed. Tom was having difficulty holding his ground. He leaped to the side in an effort to evade Marien's wrath and cold steel grazed his cheek. A trickle of blood dripped down his face. He put his hand to it, amazed.

"I win?" Marien asked innocently.

"Yes," Thomas replied, still in awe. "You win."

Marien sheathed the swords and held them out for Tom. "No, no," he said, "you keep those. They're the weapons of choice for most Gerudos. Speaking of Gerudo gear, here." He tossed the pile of clothes at his feet in Marien's direction.

She unfolded them, studying them closely. "There's not a lot of actual clothing here, is there?" she asked.

"Enough," Tom replied. "It's what they wear. Trust me. Try it on, go on."

Marien looked uneasy, but she slipped behind a ledge and managed to figure out how to put the unusual (to her) outfit on. Double-checking to make sure she was covered, she cautiously stepped out into Thomas's view.

"Wow. Just...wow." Thomas said.

"What?"

"You look _exactly_ like a Gerudo. In every way."

Marien walked up to Kora. "How are you supposed to do anything in this?" She tugged at the baggy Gerudo-style pants. "Riding a horse in these?"

"Here, just-" Thomas held out a hand to help her. "-like this." Marien now sat astride the mare, fastening the sheathed swords to her back. Thomas strapped a rather large pack to the horse. "Ready to go," he said.

"Wait – go? Now?"

"Well, not quite." Thomas stroked his chin. "You need a name."

"But I-" Marien protested.

"No, a Gerudo name," Thomas said. "'Marien' doesn't exactly convey what we want it to convey. I've got it! Sararu."

"What's a Sararu?"

Tom laughed. "You are!" he replied. "It's your name from now on, and I suggest you get used to it. Always introduce yourself as Sararu. Sararu from…hmm…from the plains. I guess that'll do. It's vague enough, anyway…"

Thomas trailed off to Marien's blank look. "Nevermind. You're Sararu from the plains. That's all there is to it. Now," he said, "you should get going soon."

Marien hesitated. "Uh, I have to go…alone?" she asked.

"Well…yes! It's the only way you'll convince the Gerudos. _I_ could never go – I'm a man. But don't worry; I'll be a mile or so behind you on horseback the whole way. If you need anything, just turn around and get me. Of course, not while you are in the company of others. Got it, Sararu?"

"I'm not Sararu! I'm Marien!" Marien said heatedly.

"Not anymore. From this moment forward, you are Sararu. That is, until you get back from your 'quest.'" Thomas patted Kora's back. "Your horse is ready. Are you?"

"No," Sararu stated. "I'm not. I don't know anything about-"

Thomas cut her off. "You'll do fine. Now, time is of the essence. I'll be behind you. Get going! Oh, and…good luck." He reached up to put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't get yourself killed."

"It's not really my goal, don't worry."

And with that, Sararu kicked the horse hard and galloped off west, the sun high above her.

Thomas stood for a few seconds, gazing after the departed girl. What was he thinking, sending her off so unprepared? But for some reason, he felt that she would do even better than fine. She was a true Gerudo, no doubt about it now.


	5. Home?

Sararu watched the sun sink in the sky with a troubled stomach. She couldn't do this. She couldn't. She didn't know anything about these people, how they lived, how they behaved towards outsiders. How was she supposed to convince them of something when no one else could?

She was standing apprehensively on the edge of a great canyon, staring into the city beyond. Squinting, she could barely make out figures – women -- walking to and fro in the distance.

"Come on, all you have to do is cross the bridge," she muttered to herself. "Marien – no, Sararu – argh! I can't get used to this."

She had tied her horse Kora to a tree nearby, figuring she wouldn't need her once inside the fortress. Assuming, that is, she got inside without being arrested.

To make matters worse, she was scared of heights.

Well, it was now or never. Uneasily, Sararu crossed the lofty bridge, daring to peer over the edge once. This was a mistake. She promptly fell to her knees, clutching her stomach and feeling dizzy. So far down…The swirling rapids below her seemed to reach out hands to grab her, pull her down to join them. The world went black -- she felt herself tipping over the edge –

Strong hands reached down to seize her and pull her back to safety. She staggered along, being helped by two people to the end of the bridge. Her vision was too clouded still to see who they were.

"Are you alright?" she heard a woman's voice inquire.

Sararu tried to say something but all that came out were mumbles.

"I think she's a bit shaken up, Tuika. Give her a few minutes."

Sararu coughed and pulled her arms free of the helping shoulders. "I'm alright, really," she said, wobbling unsteadily.

"That's good, then. You'd have fallen for sure if we weren't riding into town. Get some whiskey, Rei. She's still a bit dizzy."

Sararu heard footsteps retreating. One woman was still with her, saying, "Are you from around here? You must be - you're a Gerudo, right?"

"No- er, yes," Sararu said quickly. "My name is Sararu. I'm from, uh, the plains."

"Sararu from the plains? What plains?" said the woman.

Sararu hesitated. "Er…I don't know."

The woman blinked at her. "You don't know." She shrugged. "Probably still a bit dizzy. At any rate, my name's Tuika, and you'd better lay down."

Sararu was swaying dangerously close to the edge of the canyon. Tuika put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her down into a sitting position.

"Now," Tuika said, "do you have business in our valley?"

"Yeah, I've…er…got a message for the leader of your…tribe."

"Under whose authorization?"

"Uh…my own?" Sararu laughed nervously, not realizing the Gerudo was staring at her.

"Look, girl, you're not making any sense. You're from 'the plains,' you don't know who your leader is, and you don't seem to be capable of crossing a bridge. I'm sorry, but you can't come into the Valley if we don't know who sent you."

"No! I mean…it's really important. A matter of life and death, in fact. Please, I just have to see your leader."

Tuika arched her eyebrow. "If it's so important, why can't you just tell me? I'll relay the message."

Sararu hesitated. Thomas had told her to only tell the leader of the Gerudos about the Vaalvrian threat. She'd have to ask for their help on behalf of the king of Hyrule, and only the leader of the Gerudos would listen, he said. Still, Sararu had to get inside somehow. "It's about –"

The return of the second Gerudo cut her off mid-sentence. "For goodness' sake, Tuika, don't interrogate her when she's all wound up like that! Give her a little time; she's probably still confused." This second woman held out a flask to Sararu. "Here, drink. Whiskey'll cheer you up in no time."

Sararu cautiously took the flask and put it up to her nose. "Smells…strong," she commented.

"What, never had whiskey before?" asked the second Gerudo, chuckling. "You're more confused than I thought. Here, just drink up." She reached out and tipped the flask forward into Sararu's mouth.

The whiskey burned like fire down Sararu's throat. She choked, not expecting this sensation. Tuika and the second Gerudo exchanged glances and Tuika leaned down to pat Sararu on the back. "You OK there?" she asked.

"She really _has_ never had whiskey before," the other Gerudo muttered.

Coughing, Sararu blinked a few times and gestured towards the village, still unable to speak. "Oh, come on," the second Gerudo asked. "Let's just take her in until she starts feeling better. _Then_ we can ask her all the questions we like. Here," she said, turning to the kneeling Sararu, "I'm Diasyrei; most people call me Rei - you can see why. Let's get you into town." She extended a hand. Sararu took it gladly, anxious to relay her message to the Gerudo leader.

But her message was put on hold. Upon entering the complex, she was taken to a room somewhere on the third floor of the fortress and kept company by a guard named Correi. She was given some food as well, which she ate gladly.

"You can stay here for a few hours while Tuika meets with our leader," Correi was saying. "You'll find anything you need if you just ask. I'll be standing right here." She planted herself next to the archway leading into the hall.

Sararu nodded distractedly. She was looking about the room with a wondering gaze. The walls were covered in ceremonial Gerudo swords and woven tapestries depicting great battles. Her eyes lingered on a scimitar encrusted with rubies and emeralds. Everything here was so rich, so extravagant! Looking out the window, she watched guards march back and forth in disciplined rhythm. Clusters of them stood around two buildings as well.

"What are they guarding?" Sararu asked the guard, pointing at the heavily guarded areas.

"That's the meeting room," Correi said, walking over to Sararu and pointing at the first building. "Guarded for obvious reasons. And that-" she pointed to the other- "that's our prison."

"What do you need a prison for?" Sararu asked, shocked.

Correi cocked an eyebrow. "What else are we supposed to do with the men who come here?"

"You put them in _prison?_" Sararu cried.

"What are we going to do, let them walk out of here?"

Sararu looked bewildered. "Why don't you just let them go home? What did they ever do to you?"

Correi sighed and put a hand on Sararu's shoulder. "Look, I don't know where you came from, but it must have had different men than we have here. Men are…" she trailed off, looking for the right words. "Men are mean. They don't really care for women unless the woman in question has something to offer, if you know what I mean. Too bad we need them to proliferate."

"I don't think all men are mean," Sararu said. "I knew one who was very nice." Thomas drifted into her mind, and Sararu found herself wondering whether he was safe.

"Yeah, well, you were lucky," Correi said and walked back to her post.

The room fell into an awkward silence for a few minutes as Sararu wandered around, idly looking at various things.

"What do you mean, 'something to offer?'" she said suddenly.

Correi gave her a look. "How old are you, anyway?"

"I think I'm eighteen," Sararu replied, "but I'm not really sure."

The guard let out a bewildered laugh. "I have no idea what's weird about you, but you're starting to grow on me."

Sararu walked over to her. "How old are _you_, anyway? Why do you know so much about the world? You don't look that much older than me."

"I'm seventeen," Correi replied proudly. "And wherever you come from, they must not teach you the same kinds of things they teach us. Trust me, I don't know that much."

"You still haven't answered my question," Sararu said curiously. "Why do men think women have something to offer? And what does 'proliferate' mean?"

Correi rolled her eyes. "This is going to be a long day."


	6. The Message for Redolia

**Author's Note: Woo! Finally another chapter up! **

* * *

Colin Durell sat at his desk, sipping cocoa and idly reading the document before him. Children were playing outside, splashing each other with water to cool down on such a hot evening. Warm breeze drifted through the window, turning the page of the book on Colin's desk – and suddenly he realized something.

Clutching the book, he brought it closer to his face so he could read. Flipping fervently now, he hastily scribbled notes on parchment, and then he leapt to his feet and rushed out the door.

He came to the stables, expecting to see Thomas tying up his horse by now, or at the very least riding into town. But Thomas's horse was still missing from its stall. Colin frowned in confusion and looked around, squinting at the darkening horizon through the city gates. Nothing. That's strange, he thought. He was sure his aide would have returned by now.

Colin wrung his hands a few times, debating. Time really was of the essence. With this new information, who knew what could happen?

Making up his mind, the professor reached for his saddle.

--

"So babies aren't born out of the earth?"

"No, there's this thing…" Correi sighed. Sararu was sitting at a table, wide-eyed and curious, incessantly asking questions. Correi had been fighting a losing battle all afternoon to avoid this subject altogether.

"Look, it's almost time for you to meet with our leader. Don't you want to relay your message?"

"Oh!" Sararu shot out of her chair. "Can we go now? It's very important, you see."

Correi glanced out the window. The sun was just touching the horizon. "Tuika should be coming to give us the OK. Assuming, of course, that this meeting _is_ OK."

Sararu sat back down, dejected. Why did everything have to be so complicated around here? Back at home in the Kokiri Forest, if you wanted to talk to someone, you just walked up and talked to them. The Great Deku Tree, of course, demanded a _little_ more respect, but –

"Sararu of the plains?" a voice called out. "Report to the meeting room at once."

Sararu snapped out of her reverie and looked up. Tuika was standing in the doorway, arms crossed. "Correi, take her there. She wouldn't know the way on her own," she was saying.

"Of course." Correi beckoned to Sararu and led her out into a hallway. "Ready for this?" she asked.

"No," Sararu replied honestly.

"Too bad. Here goes." Correi ushered her past two fierce-looking guards into a large meeting room adorned with shields and war spoils. "You're on your own from here," she whispered, backing out through the doorway.

In front of Sararu sat a woman, harshly beautiful and decked out in extravagant piercings and jewelry. On either side stood two guards holding ferocious glaives.

"Sararu of the plains," a guard announced.

The room went quiet.

"Um," Sararu muttered.

"Bow!" a voice whispered fiercely from the doorway. Sararu whipped her head around and saw Correi motioning frantically to her.

"Oh!" Belatedly, Sararu bent into an awkward bow.

"Rise," the decorated woman said. Sararu rose, glancing at the woman's face, afraid she had already blown it. But the woman was grinning amusedly, even chuckling. "What matter concerns me, Chief Redolia of the greatest Gerudo tribe? What is it you are here for, child?"

"I- I bring news of an attack." Sararu stared at the woman, this Redolia, not daring to take her eyes off of her.

"Surely you are mistaken. No army could attack without my knowledge of it."

Sararu swallowed hard. "This attack has not happened yet. I bring tidings of an impending war with the Vaalvrians."

A collective gasp filled the room, and the Gerudos began to whisper to one another in shock.

"Oh, be quiet," Redolia commanded. "Tell me, child, who gives you this news?"

Sararu hesitated. "Professor Colin Durell, ma'am."

"A man?" one woman jeered. "She gets her information from men?"

"She consorts with the lesser sex!" another called.

"And why were you in the presence of this man?" Redolia asked. "I know of him, if only because as leader of a nation I must be diplomatic as well as fierce. But you have no excuse. Are you no true Gerudo?"

"She bears false news!"

"Throw her in jail!"

Sararu looked around wildly. "I-"

"Silence!" Redolia put her hand up. "Come closer, child."

Hesitantly, Sararu obeyed. Redolia looked her up and down, examining and judging. Finally she said, "This girl is not lying; or at least, she believes herself to be carrying the truth. Return her to her room. I must meet with my council."

Sararu found herself being whisked out of the room and out a doorway into the evening air. Correi was at her side, walking her briskly towards another building.

"You'll sleep here tonight." Correi pointed ahead, to the place they were headed. "I'll leave you there. And hey - " She stopped Sararu at the entrance to the room. "Don't mind what those people were saying. They do that sometimes. You're an honest person, I can tell. They're just… they can be stubborn sometimes."

Sararu grinned at Correi and nodded gratefully. "Thanks."

"By the way…" Correi grabbed Sararu's arm and pulled her inside the room. "Tomorrow most of the Gerudos are going to leave. Redolia discovered something in some cave northwest of here that she wants to find – seems to think there's something special about it, whatever it is. She's taking all but the infirm, the children, and a few guards. You'll have to stay here…but I only wish you could go with us! I never have anyone to talk to…" She trailed off, a distant look in her eye.

"What is it?" Sararu asked her after a few moments.

"I think I can convince them to bring you along," Correi said slowly, working it out in her head. "Even if you are naïve, it'll be better than nothing. Just sleep here tonight – I'll be here in the morning – " She was getting more excited now. "Yes – I bet they'll go for that - sleep well!" she said, and with that rushed off to a building in the distance.

--

"No – let go of me – I haven't done anything to you!"

"You're a man; you've done everything to us," a Gerudo said harshly, grabbing Thomas's bound wrists roughly and dragging him forward. "Stay here tonight. We'll negotiate in the morning, but don't hope for much. Riding around outside our fortress; not doing anything to us, bah!" She muttered her way out the cell door, slamming it shut after her.

Tom looked around glumly. He was in a tiny cell with a hard, sandy floor. There was no bed. To make matters worse, his hands were still tied. He sighed, supposing that there was nothing to be done until morning, and sat down, sliding his back against a wall.

He was very nearly asleep when he heard a voice. "I only wish you could go with us!" it was saying. "I never have anyone to talk to."

A second voice, more familiar: "What is it?"

Was that Marien's voice? Thomas sat up straight, listening. The voices seemed to be just through the wall. After a time, there was quiet, and Tom inched over to the back wall. "Marien!" he whispered, hoping against hope that it was really her.

No reply. He tried again. "Marien!"

A gasp, and then a whispered reply.

"Thomas?"

"Marien! It is you! Can you come over to my cell and get me out?"

There was a pause. "I don't know my way around this place – plus they have guards – but I can try."

Tom slumped back to the ground, waiting. After a few minutes, footsteps could be heard coming towards him.

"Tom!" a whisper said as Sararu stepped into view.

"Marien! You found me."

"It's Sararu now, remember? You said so yourself. " She looked around. "I don't have the key…"

Thomas sighed. "I suppose I will have to wait until morning after all. You don't think they'll kill me, do you?"

Sararu looked mortified. "Kill you? How could they? You didn't do anything to them!"

"I know," Tom groaned.

"Correi told me they just keep men here as prisoners. She never said anything about hurting them. So you should be OK," she said, feeling reassured. "How did you get here in the first place?"

"I must have been worried about you. I was riding behind to make sure you would be safe and I found myself practically on their doorstep before I knew it. You know they don't take too kindly to men. How is the mission going?" Tom asked, changing the subject.

"I relayed the message, but I don't know if they believe me." Sararu sighed. "I might have failed you, Thomas. I tried my best, I really did."

Tom gave her a half-grin. "I guess we'll have to see."

"Oh! Tom!" Sararu turned to him anxiously. "Tomorrow I might be going with the Gerudos to a cave somewhere in the northwest. I won't be able to see you tomorrow, then. Will you be alright? Surely they feed their prisoners…"

"A cave?" Tom said, surprised. "What do they want in a cave?"

"I don't know. Correi wouldn't tell me." Sararu froze. "I hear footsteps!"

"It must be the guard. Quick, get out of here," Tom whispered. "I'll see you later."

Sararu hesitated.

"I'll be alright! Go!"

She turned, and, with a glance back, hurried back to her room.


End file.
